2 December 2015

The Board of Trustees met on 2 December 2015 in the Board of Trustees Room, Parramatta Campus. A summary of matters discussed in the open session of the Board meeting is provided below.

The confirmed minutes of the 9 September 2015 (PDF, 180.33 KB) (opens in a new window) meeting are also now available. 

Main Items Considered by the Board

Chancellor's Report

The Chancellor spoke briefly to his report. Since the last meeting the Chancellor attended a meeting of each of the Board's committees (Finance and Investment, University Infrastructure and Audit and Risk) and plans to do so annually. The Chancellor made special mention of the work of the Foundation Council and their important role in securing philanthropic gifts. Staff giving has increased and Western Sydney University is now a sector leader in the proportion of staff donating through fortnightly payroll deductions.

Vice-Chancellor's Report

The Vice-Chancellor updated the Board on the status of the Higher Education reforms. Consultation on the reforms in 2016 will include discussion of strategies for the sustainable funding of higher education in Australia. ERA (Excellence in Research for Australia) results will be available in the coming weeks and the University is anticipating a substantial improvement in the rankings.  The rebranding strategy is progressing well with targeted product marketing plans throughout 2016/17, while the re-signage of campuses is expected to be finalised in 2015.  The iPad strategy, in which first year students are provided with an iPad, has been broadened to a multi-device strategy and will include devices such as android tablets and laptops.

School of Business: Presentation from the Interim Dean

As part of the regular scheduling of School presentations, the Interim Dean of the School of Business outlined the School's academic profile, successes and challenges. From 2010 enrolments have faced steady decline and the realignment and refreshing of the School's courses became a priority in 2015. The new courses are designed to increase diversity and to introduce new subject areas such as business analytics.

Budget 2016-2018

The Board approved the 2016-2018 budget as submitted. The budget assumes that there will be no changes to government policy in the short term and includes increased funding to core activities such as Schools and research.

Reshaping Western Sydney University

The Board noted the report that outlined the planning strategy for the campus network including the distribution of Schools, courses and activities, and this item will discussed in detail at the Board's strategy day in March 2016.

Delegations and Commercial Activities Guidelines

The Board approved changes to the Commercial Activities Guidelines and the Delegations (Administrative) Policy and Schedules.  The changes to the Guidelines are designed to improve rigour in the planning of commercial activities.  Changes to the Delegations (Administrative) Policy and Schedules reflect the changes to the Guidelines, as well as other changes resulting from changes in positions and position titles.

Board Membership and Election Result

The Chancellor farewelled outgoing Board members Dr George Morgan and Taylor Macdonald, and thanked them both for their contributions during their terms on the Board. The Academic Staff member-elect, Dr Ben Etherington, attended the meeting and was warmly welcomed.  The Chancellor also congratulated Jenny Purcell on her re-election to the position of Professional Staff Member and Winnie Jobanputra on her election to the position of Undergraduate Student Member.

Helen Fleming
University Secretary